Wire drawing apparatus



NOV- 7, 1933. B, PQULSEN 1,933,755

WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet .l

INVENTOR E vva Rd 5. Fall/Sen ATTORNEYS Nov. 7, 1933.

E. B; POULSEN WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR EAWQRA -PouSCh Y ATTORNEYS Nov. 7, 1933. E. B. POULSEN WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1930' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ECJVVQ Rd cujscn ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 7, 1933 1,933,755, WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Edward B. Poulsen, Detroit; Mich., assignor to Revere Copper and Brass Incorporated Application April 29, 1930. Serial No. 448,251

10 Claims.

This invention relates to wire drawing and has for an object the provision of an improved wire drawing machine. More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of an improved wire drawing block.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention is provided with a rotary wire drawing block formed of two axially aligned separable parts, one of which is mounted for rotation in a fixed position and the other of which is movable relatively to the fixed part. The composite block is preferably truncated coneshaped, and it is divided circumferentially to form the two separable parts. The two parts are so formed that when they are in their operative wire drawing positions rotary movement of the movable part will be transmitted to the fixed part.

The composite block is preferably divided along an irregular line so that the adjacent end edges of the two parts are provided with complementary teeth and grooves or depressions. When the two parts are in their operative wire drawing positions, the teeth fit within the grooves to provide a substantially continuous smooth outer surface for the composite block.

In the assembled wire drawing machine, the block is preferably mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. The movable part of the block is preferably disposed below the fixed part of the block. Power for rotating the block is preferably applied through a downwardly extending vertical drive shaft on which the upper or fixed part of the block is loosely mounted. The lower or movable part of the block is mounted on the upper end portion of an upwardly extending movable shaft. The drive shaft and the lower part of the block are provided with means for transmitting the'rotary movement of the drive shaft to the lower part of the block when the lower part of the block is in its up permost position.

A wire grip is mounted on the upper part of the block. A die holder is mounted adjacent the block in such a position that the wire is coiled on the lower portion of the composite block during the operation of the machine. The lower or movable part of the block is provided with a circumferential shoulder which defines the lower limit of the portion of the surface of the block on which the coil is formed.

An annular table surrounds the lower part of the block and receives the coil at the completion of each wire drawing operation. The low- (Class 205 =-20) er part of the block is movable downwardly to a position in which its uppermost edge portions are disposed substantially flush with or below the upper surface of the table. The table and the upper or fixed part of the block are spaced apart sufiiciently to permit the withdrawal of a complete coil.

The invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wire drawing machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the wire drawing block and operating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along line 83 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially along line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and r Fig. 5 is an elevation showing the upper and lower parts of the block in their separated or inoperative positions and showing a coil of wire disposed on the table for removal.

The drawings show a wire drawing machine provided with a split wire drawing block comprising an upper partlO and a lower part 11 and so arranged as to rotate about a vertical axis during its operation. The composite block is substantially truncated cone-shaped. The lower portion of the lower part 11 of the block is provided with a circumferential shoulder 12 against which the lower edge portion of a coil formedon the block may rest and which limits the downward movement of the coil and defines the lower limit of the surface of the block on which the coil is formed.

The upper part 10 of the block is loosely mounted for rotation on a sleeve 13 which is rigidly attached to a vertical drive shaft 14. The sleeve 13' is keyed to the drive shaft 14 and held in place by means of a washer 15 and cap screws 16. 'A bushing 1'7 is mounted on the sleeve 13 between the upper part 10 of the block and the sleeve. The lower end portion of the sleeve is provided with a flange 20 which carries a ball thrust bearing 21 on which the upper part 10 of the block is supported. The flange 20 isprovided with a plurality of holes or openings 22 in its peripheral edge portion for the reception of vertically extending driving pins carried by the lower part of the block.

Upward movement of the upper part of the block is limited by a lock nut 23 mounted on the sleeve 13 in a recess formed in the upper part of the block. A plate'24' is provided at the top of the block for limiting the travel of the coils and preventing them from going above the face of the block. A wire grip 25 is mounted in a. recess formed in the face portion of the upper part of the block. The wire grip is mounted for movement about vertical and horizontal axes.

The lower end edge of the upper part of the block and the upper end edge of the lowerv part of theblock are provided with. complementary teeth and grooves 28 and 27.-

The lower part 11 of the block is mounted for rotation on the reduced upper end portion of an upwardly extending shaft 30. The shaft 30 is mounted in axial alignment with the drive shaft 14 for vertical reciprocating movement. Ball bearings 31 are disposed between the lower part of the block and the surface of the reduced end portion of the movable shaft'30. An annular plate 32 is attached to the under surface of the lower part of the block for aiding in retaining the ball bearings in position, The upper central portion of the lower part of ,the block is provided with a truncated cone-shaped projecting portion 33 which is adapted to fit within a complementary recess in the lower end portion of the sleeve 13 for aiding in aligning the two parts of the block. The lower part of the block is held in position on the shaft 30 by means of a washer 34 and cap screw 35.

The under surface of the lower part of thev block is provided with a plurality recesses 36 which communicate-with axially aligned openings of reduced-size in the upper portion of the lower part of the block. Driving pins-37 having collars 40 rigidly mountedthereon are disposed within the recesses 36.. Helical springs ll'are mounted on the driving pins with their upper ends engaging the collars 40 and their lower ends engaging locknuts 42 mounted in the lower end portions of the recesses 35. The driving pins 37 project upwardly through the openings in the lower part of the block and downwardly through the openings in the lock nuts 42. In the preferred form of the apparatus, four driving pins are provided and they are so spaced that all may enter openings 22 in the flange 20 simultaneously.

Any suitable means may be provided for moving the shaft 30 to move the lower part of the block into and out of engagement with the upper part of the block. In the apparatus shown'in the drawings an air operated mechanism 43 has been provided.

A table is provided for receiving the coil of wire at the completion of wire drawing operations. The table comprises an annular plate 44 surrounding the lower portion of the lower part of the block and having an annular flange 45 depending therefrom. The annular table flange 45 surrounds an upwardly projecting annular guide member 46, which in the apparatus shown in the drawings, is stationary and formed integrally with the bearing which guides the supporting shaft 30 for the lower The table flange 45 is provided with an inwardly extending annular ridge 47 which is adapted to engage an outwardly projecting annular ridge 50 carried by the guide member 46 to limit the upward movement of the table. An annular ring 51 mounted on the innervsurface of the table flange is adapted to engage the upper surface of the annular guide member 46 to limit the downward movement of the table.

The table is provided with inwardly projecting stripper plates 52 which slide in grooves or part of the block.

slots 53 formed in the lower part of the block and prevent the coils from falling between the block and table when the lower part of the block is lowered.

The block is driven by means of a motor 55 through the agency of a worm 56, a worm wheel 57 and the drive shaft 14.

A die holder 60 is mounted for movement about a horizontal axis on a pin 61 which is mounted for movement about a vertical axis on a supporting bracket 62. The bracket 62 is mounted on a side wall of the casing 63 which encloses the auxilliary parts of the wire drawing machine.'

In the operation of the apparatus shown in the drawings, a wire drawing operation is commenced by inserting a suitable die in the die holder and threading a pointed end of the wire or barto reduced through the opening therein. The pointel end of the wire is attached to the wire grip on the upper part *of the block. During the threading operation and while the pointed end of the wire is-being attached to the wire grip, the lower part should be in its lowermost position out of engagement withthe upper part of the block. When the upper and lower parts of the block are out of engagement, the upper part of the block is capable of rotating freely on itsv supporting sleeve. When the wire has been attached to the wire grip, the lower part of the block may be moved intoengagement with the upper part of the block and the teeth of the lower part will engage the teeth of theupper part. The power is then applied, rotating the drive shaft 14 and the sleeve 13. When the openings 22 in theflange 20 carried by the sleeve 13 register with the pins 37, the pins 37 will be forced upwardly into the open ings 22, thus causing rotation of the lower part of the block. The rotary motion of the lower part of the block will be transmitted to the upper part of the block" through the teeth 26 and the drawing operation will be commenced. Atv the completion of the draw, the lower part of the block lowered and the coil of wirerproduced falls to'the table and is removed. The apparatus is then ready for the next cycle.

I claim: V

1. In a wire drawing machine, a rotary drive shaft, a wire drawing block comprising two axially. aligned parts having complementary wire-engaging peripheries the diameters of which at the line of engagement are substantially the same, one of said parts being loosely mounted on the drive shaft and the other being bodily movable into and out of engagement with the loosely mounted part, clutch means for transmitting the rotary movement of the drive shaft to the movable part, and means for transmitting the rotary movement of the movable part to the loosely mounted part.

2. In a wire drawing machine, a rotary drive shaft, a vertical wire drawing block comprising upper and lower axially aligned parts having complementary wire-engaging peripheries thediameters of which at the line of engagement are substantially the same, the upper part being loosely'mounted on the drive shaft and the lower part being movable into and out of engagement with the upper part; clutch means for transmitting the rotary movement of the drive shaft to the lower part, and means for transmitting the'rotary movement of the lower partto the loosely mounted part.

3. In a wire drawing machine a vertically disposed rotary drive shaft, a supporting shaft disposed below the drive shaft in axial alignment therewith and bodily movable relatively thereto, a wire drawing block section freely rotatable on the drive shaft, a complementary block section mounted for rotation on the movable supporting shaft, means for moving the supporting shaft to move the block section mounted thereon into and out of engagement with the block section mounted on the drive shaft, means for clutching the drive shaft to the block section mounted on the movable supporting shaft for transmitting the rotary movement of the drive shaft to the block section mounted thereon, and independent means for clutching the bodily movable block section to the freely rotatable block section.

4. In a wire drawing machine, a vertically disposed rotary drive shaft, a sleeve rigidly attached to the drive shaft, a wire drawing block section loosely mounted on the sleeve, a complementary block section mounted below said sleeve and movable into and out of engagement with the loosely mounted block section, means associated with the complementary block section for engaging the sleeve and additional means associated with the complementary block section for engaging the loosely mounted block section whereby to transmit the rotary movement of the drive shaft to both block sections.

5. In a wire drawing machine, a vertically disposed rotary drive shaft, a-sleeve having a plurality of openings therein rigidly mounted on the drive shaft, a block section freely rotatable on the sleeve, a complementary block section mounted below the sleeve and bodily movable relatively thereto, a plurality of pins mounted on the movable block section and adapted to enter the openings in the sleeve to transmit the rotary movement of the sleeve to the movable block section, and means operable for transmitting the rotary movement of the movable block section to the freely rotatable block section when the movable block section is moved in a direction to engage the pins with the openings in the sleeve.

6. In a wire drawing machine, a vertically disposed rotary drive shaft, a sleeve rigidly mounted on the drive shaft, a block section having a plurality of teeth formed in its lower edge portion freely rotatable on the sleeve, a complementary block section having teeth formed in its upper edge portion mounted below the sleeve and movable into and out of engagement with the freely rotatable block section, and a plurality of driving pins mounted on the complementary block section and adapted to enter the openings in the sleeve when the complementary block section is moved in a direction to engage its teeth with the freely rotatable block section.

7. In a wire drawing machine a vertically disposed rotary drive shaft, a supporting shaft disposed below the drive shaft in axial alignment therewith and bodily movable relatively thereto, a block section rotatably and unrestrainedly I mounted on the drive shaft, means for clamping the end of the wire to be drawn to the rotatable block section, means for preventing vertical movement of the rotatable block section on the drive shaft, a complementary block section mounted for rotation on the movable supporting shaft, means for moving the supporting shaft to bodily move the block section mounted thereon into and out of driving engagement with the block section mounted on the drive shaft, and means rendered effective by the bodily movement of the block section mounted on the supporting shaft for operatively connecting and disconnecting the block: section mounted thereon to the drive shaft.

8. In a wire drawing machine, the combination of a driving sleeve, a block section journalled on the sleeve, a complementary block section aligned with the first block section, complementary clutch elements on the sleeve and the second block section, complementary clutch elements on the two block sections, and means for bodily moving one of said block sections to the other block section to substantially simultaneously engage said clutch elements for imparting rotary movement from the sleeve to the second block section and from the latter to the first block section.

9. In a wire drawing machine, a vertically disposed rotary drive shaft, a sleeve having a plurality of openings therein rigidly mounted on the drive shaft, a rotatable Wire drawing block section which is operably movable in a vertical direction disposed below the sleeve, and a plurality of sprin pressed pins mounted on the movable block section and adapted upon movement of the block section to enter the openings in the sleeve to transmit the rotary movement of the sleeve to the block section.

10. In a wire drawing machine, a vertically disposed rotary drive shaft, a supporting shaft disposed below the drive shaft in axial alignment therewith and bodily movable relatively thereto, a rotatable block section mounted on the drive shaft, means for preventing the vertical movement of said block section with respect to the drive shaft, a complementary block section mounted for rotation on the movable support: ing shaft, means for moving the supporting shaft to bodily move the block section mounted thereon into and out of driving engagement with the block section mounted on the drive shaft, means whereby the rotary movement is transmitted from the drive shaft to the bodily movable block section, and means whereby the rotary movement is transmitted from the bodily movable block section to the block section mounted on the drive shaft.

' EDWARD B. POULSEN. 

